But Lhota asked for the hikes only after conducting a top-to-bottom scouring of the MTA budget — ensuring that riders will get maximum bang for their extra bucks.

Has Quinn, or any of the Democrats seeking to succeed Mayor Bloomberg, ever exercised such responsible leadership?

Ha.

Isay’s snide sniping speaks volumes as to Quinn’s willingness to confront directly the fiscal storms New York is sailing into.

Lhota will be leaving office Dec. 31 and promises to make a decision on the mayoral race sometime next month.

Here’s hoping he goes for it.

He would certainly raise the level of the debate — and while a Lhota run would be an uphill effort from Day One, New Yorkers deserve more than a barrage of pledges to shackle the NYPD, turn the schools back over lock, stock and textbook to the teachers union and squeeze the rich like grapes to pay for more free stuff.

Which is where that debate stands today.

To be sure, Lhota would have to do more than just run on his record during the course of a campaign

But he’s an adult. He handled the devastating damage visited on the MTA by Superstorm Sandy with grace — displaying leadership and organization skills learned as top deputy to Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

In short, he’s shown he has the skill set to run a city as complicated as New York.

Which probably accounts for the snotty commentary greeting talk of a Lhota run.